Anaheim, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Albert Pujols hit two of LA's four home runs as the Angels topped the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 in the opener of a three-game series.
Mike Trout and David Freese also went yard for the Angels, who were coming off a four-game sweep of Tigers. Pujols finished with three of their 11 hits, while he and Trout drove in three runs apiece with their long balls.
"We're hitting because we're due. It's showing up now," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Garrett Richards (5-3) gave the Angels a quality start, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings of work.
Alex Colome (3-2) was charged with five runs in six innings to absorb the loss.
"Alex competed well against a hot lineup," Rays manager Kevin Cash said of his starter. "He made a couple of mistakes to their big boys and they made him pay."
Nick Franklin hit his first home run of the season for Tampa Bay, which has dropped seven of nine.
Freese opened the scoring with a solo homer in the bottom of the second.
After the Rays briefly tied the game on Joey Butler's RBI single in the top of the third, Johnny Giavotella and Erick Aybar singled to begin the home half to set up Trout's three-run blast to left-center.
Richards struck out consecutive batters after walking Logan Forsythe to start the fifth, but Franklin took him deep to right to pull Tampa Bay within a run.
Pujols provided an insurance run for the hosts with his solo shot in the fifth and he put the game out of reach with a two-run homer in his next at- bat.
Game Notes
This was the 49th multi-home run game of Pujols' career. He also has 533 career home runs, one shy of Jimmie Foxx for 17th all-time ... The Angels outhit Tampa Bay, 11-6 ... Both teams went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
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